I thought it would be a good idea to post this here as a warning to anyone that's thinking of buying a USB-GDROM. I've long suspected this was a thing but didn't have solid proof until now. Mnemo has implemented what is essentially self-destructing firmware into his USB-GDROM devices. After a certain amount of time, the device will stop working (you'll get a "Firmware Obsolete" message when trying to run a game) and require you to update the firmware. This is a security measure he implemented to prevent cloning. A very bad one though. If he ever disappears and doesn't release periodic firmware updates, USB-GDROMs will start dropping like flies.

There's a thread on Twitter talking about this right now which contains confirmation from Mnemo himself that this is true. I should note that this seems to have been implemented in a later firmware update so if you're still on an old one, it's best not to update. Mnemo claims he will release an update to remove this "firmware expiry" but we'll see. In the meantime, it's probably best to avoid buying one.

This is sad news to wake up to. Been lagging on getting a gdemu from for quite some time now, still want one if the expiry can be avoided. Worst case scenario: if mnemonic is struck by lightning or vanishes, what is the next best option? The SDcard route?

I agree mnemo should have disclosed this information first. I've been in contact with Mnemo quite a bit. He does plan to remove the time expiration firmware soon, and he has been true to his word so I have no reason to doubt him. Worst case, Ill buy a dcio or gdemu. But Usb-gdrom has 100% dc library compatibility(minus bleem) that the other solutions do not offer (Like D2 disc swapping for example). So for now it's the best you can get. Until my unit bricks and mnemo disappears, I have no reason to believe otherwise.